Mayor Eric Adams addressed the latest federal investigations and raids on homes of his top aides in a series of interviews Friday afternoon.

He argued New Yorkers want “due process” to play out and said that any information he’s already turned over will reveal: he did “nothing wrong.”


What You Need To Know

  • Federal agents executed warrants for four top city officials this week, including First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks, senior adviser Timothy Pearson and NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban

  • Mayor Eric Adams claimed he still doesn’t know what agents from the U.S. Southern District of New York are looking for

  • Adams added that he has confidence in both Caban and Wright, whose home she shares with Schools Chancellor David Banks, was raided by federal agents on Wednesday

“I continue to live the life that I’ve lived as a public servant: follow the law, protecting the people of this city,” Adams declared in an interview on PIX11 Friday afternoon.

Federal agents executed warrants for four top city officials this week, including First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks, senior adviser Timothy Pearson and NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban.

Adams claimed he still doesn’t know what agents from the U.S. Southern District of New York are looking for.

“I think that [it's] the Southern District that’s conducting this review. They can answer those questions,” he said.

Adams added that he has confidence in both Caban and Wright, whose home she shares with Schools Chancellor David Banks, was raided by federal agents on Wednesday.

The mayor said that New Yorkers are looking for him to keep doing his job.

“They state: Eric, keep doing the job you’re doing and we believe in due process that’s the system that we wrap ourselves around,” he said.

But since last fall, the number of investigations has grown.

Starting with a Manhattan district attorney’s office probe into Adams’ ex-buildings commissioner, Eric Ulrich.

Then, the U.S. Attorney’s Office launched a probe into the mayor’s 2021 mayoral campaign, raiding the home of his ex-fundraiser, Briana Suggs, in November 2023.

NY1 later reported federal agents stopped Adams entering his car and requested him to turn over his cellphones and electronics.

Gov. Kathy Hochul offered words of support on Friday.

“I also represent the people of New York City and it is in their interest for me to continue working with the mayor,” she said during an unrelated press conference on Long Island.

The latest activity is prompting resignation calls from his rivals.

“He has got to replace these folks and assure the people of the city, the business community, the labor leaders, elected officials, that this government will be able to run and function. That cannot happen given the extent of this federal investigation,” Scott Stringer, the former city comptroller and likely Democratic primary challenger to Adams in 2025, said.

Democratic City Councilman Bob Holden of Queens told NY1 he thinks Caban’s involvement jeopardizes New Yorkers’ safety.

“It’s really hard for Commissioner Caban not to cast a bigger shadow over the NYPD because now people start to lose faith in our cops,” he said, arguing Caban should resign his post. “I’m thinking about this. I’m looking at it. I’m looking at the reports that we’ve heard. It doesn’t look like the mayor is involved in this one.”

It’s still unclear who and what the targets are of these investigations, but sources told NY1 that the new developments are unrelated to the existing probe launched by the U.S. Southern District into his campaign finances.